Late 2009 I came across a press release announcing that the Federal Government of Nigeria will be awarding 1087 scholarships to Nigerian students- both undergraduate and postgraduate in 2010, through the Federal Ministry of Education. The promises it entail, I believe, raised the hopes of Nigerian students nationwide. But until today, I'm yet to hear of the list of the beneficiaries of the foretold financial aid. I've personally tried to find something progressive about the Federal Government Scholarship so far, but nothing short of political propaganda.

There was an announcement for the 2010/ 2011 Bilateral Education Scholarship application (BEA) which closed in March 2010. While getting a bit curious, I stumbled upon the official website for the Federal ministry of education scholarship proposal and was even more confused with the unrealistic and outdated content.

The Ministry of Education Scholarship Website

Looking at some of the information on the webpage;
The main objectives of Federal Government Scholarship Award Scheme include:
***To make higher education more accessible to the less privileged and yet brilliant students who would not have been able to afford the acquisition of such education.
*** To augment the normal education and manpower development for high level manpower needs.
*** To reward, promote and encourage academic achievement and excellence.
*** To enhance persistence or retention in schools.
*** To equalize or balance educational opportunities.
*** To promote attainment of educational and national goals.

The Federal Scholarship Board as a Division in the Department of Higher Education was said to have four (4) scholarship Branches namely:
(a) Nigerian Scholarship Award
(b) Commonwealth Scholarship Award
(c) Overseas Scholarship Award and
(d) Students Loans Scheme;

with its Head Office in Abuja, Six (6) Zonal Offices at Enugu, Gusau, Minna, Akure, Bauchi and Port Harcourt, an Administrative and Accounts Units at the Head Office and the Zonal Offices. But I tend to wonder if this offices still exit.

It also went ahead to state that the Federal Government has instituted a massive scholarship award programme for postgraduate and undergraduate students in all Federal and State Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, but unless I've been very uninformed over the years, the impact of such action from the FG was never noticed or heard of. So the question of How Effective the FG scholarship award scheme have been becomes even more difficult to answer.

Talking about the Commonwealth Scholarship, Nigeria is supposed to operate both as an Awarding and Receiving Country under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, but the Commonwealth scholarship page for Application for Citizens of Nigeria shows that the Information on the page is based on details supplied by the Ministry of Education on 26 March 2002, which clearly indicates how uneffective the program have been in the country for the past years.

Couldn't the Federal Government/ Ministry of Education Do better than this?
Isn't the Federal Government/ Ministry of Education supposed to be accountable to it's citizens as far as educational financial aid/ sponsorship is concerned? Couldn't the FG do better than fill the youths with high hopes only to abandon them when the needs arises? Scholarships, I will say, is the right of Nigerian students and a strategic way to build a nation without bias.

If there is something you know about this, I'm anxious to hear your comments, opinions, corrections and suggestions.
http://www.afterschoolafrica.com/2010/10/federal-government-scholarship-in.html

st upid. How effective? Go and ask thousands of beneficiaries since inception.

You piss me off. Just because you havent heard of beneficiaries doesnt mean the schemes are uneffective. Take your butt to the office, Ministry of Education an see the lists for all the schemes.

I stand to be corrected, Thank God people don't get hanged for being wrong but I'm not yet convinced until i hear from a beneficiary.

I was a beneficiary of the Federal Government scholarship for oversea undergraduate and postgraduate studies. I have no reason to believe that things have changed.

Orizu845:

I was a beneficiary of the Federal Government scholarship for oversea undergraduate and postgraduate studies. I have no reason to believe that things have changed.

OK. Thank you for letting us know.

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